Panarin reaches 900 NHL points, Rangers beat Senators 4-2 for NHL-best 12th road victory

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Artemi Panarin reached 900 NHL points with a goal and an assist and the New York Rangers won for the league-leading 12th time on the road, beating the Ottawa Senators 4-2 on Thursday night.

The Rangers have won five of their past six to improve to 15-12-2. They are 12-4-1 on the road.

Panarin has 311 goals and 589 assists in 781 regular-season games.

Mika Zibanejad, Will Borgen and Vladislav Gavrikov also scored, and Igor Shesterkin made 25 saves. J.T. Miller had three assists.

Drake Batherson had a goal and an assist, and Dylan Cozens also scored for Ottawa. Leevi Merilainen stopped 24 shots.

The Senators are 13-10-4. They have three of four.

Rangers: Host Colorado on Saturday.

Senators: Host St. Louis on Saturday night.

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

New York Rangers' Will Cuylle (50) and Ottawa Senators' Brady Tkachuk (7) fight for control of the puck during second-period NHL hockey game action in Ottawa, Ontario, Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025. (Spencer Colby/The Canadian Press via AP)

New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin (31) tracks the puck through teammate Braden Schneider (left) and Ottawa Senators' Drake Batherson (19) during third period NHL hockey action in Ottawa, on Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025.(Spencer Colby/The Canadian Press via AP)

New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin, left, makes a save against Ottawa Senators' Nick Cousins (21) as Rangers' Scott Morrow (60) defends during second-period NHL hockey game action in Ottawa, Ontario, Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025. (Spencer Colby/The Canadian Press via AP)

Ottawa Senators' Jordan Spence (10) holds New York Rangers' Alexis Lafreniere, center, against the boards during second-period NHL hockey game action in Ottawa, Ontario, Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025. (Spencer Colby/The Canadian Press via AP)

Ottawa Senators' Tim Stutzle (18) crashes into New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin (31) on a breakaway during third period NHL hockey action in Ottawa, on Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025. (Spencer Colby/The Canadian Press via AP)

LJUBLJANA, Slovenia (AP) — Slovenia’s parliament on Friday appointed right-wing populist politician Janez Jansa as the new prime minister, in a shift for the small European Union country that was previously run by a liberal government.

Lawmakers backed Jansa in a 51-36 vote in the 90-member assembly. The new prime minister will need to come back to Parliament within the next 15 days for another vote to confirm his future Cabinet.

Jansa's appointment concludes a postelection stalemate in Slovenia after a parliamentary ballot two months ago ended practically in a tie. Former liberal Prime Minister Robert Golob's Freedom Movement won by a thin margin but he was unable to muster a parliamentary majority.

Jansa and his populist Slovenian Democratic Party signed a coalition agreement this week with several right-wing groups. The new government also has the backing of a nonestablishment Truth party that first emerged as an anti-vaccination movement during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The new term in office will be the fourth for the veteran Slovenian politician. Jansa, 67, is an admirer of U.S. President Donald Trump and was a close ally of former populist Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who was defeated in a landslide election last month.

Jansa in a speech listed the economy, fight against corruption and red tape, and decentralization as key goals of the future government. He has promised to lower taxes for the rich and support private education and healthcare.

Critical of the previous government's alleged “inefficiency," Jansa said the new government will turn Slovenia into “a country of opportunity, prosperity and justice, where each responsible citizen will feel safe and accepted."

Like Orban, Jansa was staunchly anti-immigrant during the huge migration wave to Europe in 2015. Also like Orban, Jansa has faced accusations of clamping down on democratic institutions and press freedoms during a previous term in 2020-2022. This led to protests at the time, and scrutiny from the European Union.

Golob in his speech described Jansa as “the greatest threat to Slovenia’s sovereignty and democracy."

Alleging that Jansa had threatened to arrest him, Golob said Jansa's "idea of democracy is that anyone who dares speak a word against you deserves only the worst.”

Jansa, a supporter of Israel, also has been a stern critic of the Golob government's 2024 recognition of a Palestinian state.

The vote on March 22 was marred by allegations of foreign influence and corruption. The around 2 million people in the Alpine nation are deeply divided between liberals and conservatives.

Janez Jansa, center, addresses the Slovenian Parliament during a session in Ljubljana, Slovenia, Friday, May 22, 2026, before appointing him as prime minister, ending a political deadlock after tight elections in March. (AP Photo/Igor Kupljenik)

Janez Jansa arrives for a session of the Slovenian Parliament in Ljubljana, Slovenia, Friday, May 22, 2026, before appointing him as prime minister, ending a political deadlock after tight elections in March. (AP Photo/Igor Kupljenik)

Janez Jansa addresses the Slovenian Parliament during a session in Ljubljana, Slovenia, Friday, May 22, 2026, before appointing him as prime minister, ending a political deadlock after tight elections in March. (AP Photo/Igor Kupljenik)